Car draft-gear.



C. T. WESTLAKE.

-GAR DRAFT GEAR.

AAPPLIOA'MON FILED 111:0.5, 1910.

CHARLES T. WESTLAKE, F ST. LOUIS,

GEAR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORA CAR DRAFT-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Applicaton'led December 5, 1910. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, CHARLES LAKE, citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gar Draft-Gear, of which the following is a specitication.

My invention relates particularly to that class of draft-gear which is applied directly to the body-bolster of a railroad car, such as the draft-gear described in the United States Letters Patent granted to Harry M. Plager, January 23, 1906, Number 810,805, and has for its object to increase the lateral travel of the coupler and draw-bar from their nor` position, when rounding sharp mal central curves.

It consists essentially in interpo'sing between the body-bolster and the rear end of the draw-bar extension (or draw-bar) to which the yoke or pocket-strap is coupled, a connecting piece or casting having at one end, spring-pockets, forming part of the draft-gear, and adapted at its other end. to interlock with, and to be radially movable by the coupler about the pivotal center of the bolster, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, whereon,

Figure 1, is a vert-ical longitudinal section through my improved draft-gear as applied to a cor body-bolster, broken away, on line l, l, in Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a horizontal section thereof, omitting the coupler and part of the draw-bar extension, on line 2, 2, in Fig. l, and Fig. 3, a top plan thereof.

Like let-ters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

a represents the coupler, b the draw-bar extension, and c the yoke or pocket-strap in closing the draft and butling springs d, and d', respectively, of a suitable draft-geai, preferably such as that described in the said patent; that is to sav, in the inner end of the draw-bar extension I) e of tion, posed i Patentedapr. 23, 1912.

c body-bolster which may any suitable material and construcpret'erably, in the of cast steel and section as shown.

applying the above-described draftgear to the bolster c acco tion, latter I preferably,

and the said gear a esent case comsliaped in cross rding to my inveninterpose between the loopshaped connecting piece or spring abutment f which is throughout, and comprises case two spaced apart horizontal members 3 which are united together at their-front ends by an upright. the rear end of the or rear ends of the to cach yoke c, memb member of cast steel integral in the present 3 and straddle while the other,

ers 3, are united other by preferably, two opposite spaced apart upright members et which proliect above and below the members 3, and,l in the assembled position of adapt ed on their outer or against the corresponding right faces nei' or front sides of tl projecting portions, of t portion 4 the parts, are

i'ear sides, to bear face of an upof the bolster e, the. said being radial to the pivotal center a (or king-pin) of the bolster e, while the init, which are likewise radial are adapted to ing faces of tw 5, which in the and bolste about f are specti correspond sion o and of the 7 opposite and ets 1 the fr bear against inter r e and at tl its pivotal center az.

e connecting piece or formed the pockets vely,

bufling spring (Z,

in the yoke o and ad ont ends of the draft mitl of the ie upper and lower he upright members to the center a, the correspondo opposite spaced apart lugs present case downward respectively, from the bottom and top member (3, as shown, whereby the spring abutment f project upward of the bolster e connecting piece or locked with the ie same time movable ere noted that the spaces beon the top and bottoni e are sufpassage therethe upright members iece f.' the front and rear faces of member 3 3 of th the upright uniting the horizontal members spring abutment .7, and 7, re-

the pockets 7 being opposite and ing to the pockets l adapted to receive the rear ends in the extenand the pockets corresponding to the pockapted to receive springs (l.

By my improved construction as above described, the spring-pockets 7, 7 for receiving the front and rear ends respectively, of the draft and bufling springs, in lieu of being formed in, or attached directly to the body-bolster, are carried by the outer or front end 3 of the connecting piece f, whereby the entire draft-gear, of which the member 3 is a part, is rendered movable about the pivotal center of the bolster at any desired distance therefrom according to the length of the horizontal members 3 of the connecting piece vWhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z- 1. In a car draft-gear the combination with the body bolster and draw bar, of a member pivotally connected to the body bolster, a yoke connected to the end of the draw bar, and forming a connection between said draw bar and the pivotally mounted member, and springs interposed between the end of the pivotally mounted member and the ends of the yoke and draw bar.

2. In a car draft-gear, the combination with the car body bolster and the draw bar, of a member pivotally mounted on the body bolster, and having interlocking connection therewith, there being an opening formed through said member, a yoke extending through said opening and connected to the end of the draw bar, and springs interposed between the end of the pivotally mounted pember and the ends of the yoke and draw 3. In a car draft gear the combination with a body bolster, of a member pivotally connected to said body bolster, interlocking lugs on said bolster and member, which lugs are concentric with the king pin opening through the body bolster, a draw bar, a yoke forming a connection between the draw bar -and the pivotally mounted member and springs interposed between the yoke, the grauv bar and the pivotally mounted mem- 4. In a railroad car, the combination with the car body-bolster, of draft-gear comprising a coupler, a draw-bar, a yoke coupled to the said bar, a draft spring and a butt'- ing spring inclosed by the said bar and yoke, and a member located between and engaged by the front and rear ends respectively, of the said springs, the said member and other parts of the said gear being movable radially to the pivotal center of the said bolster.

5. In a ,car draft-gear the combination with a body bolster, having horizontal flanges, of lugs on said iianges, which lugs are radially arranged and concentric with the king pin opening of the body bolster, a member provided with lugs, which engage behind the lugs on the body bolster, and a draw bar yieldingly connect-ed to said member.

6. The combination with a flanged body bolster provided with lugsl on a corresponding pair of its iianges,which lugs are provided on their rear sides with curved bearing faces, a draft member, a pair -of upright members integral with the rear end of said draft member, the ends of which upright members project above and below the body of the draft member for engagement behind the lugs on the flanges of the body bolster whereby said draft member is interlocked with the bolster and is permitted to swing laterally in a horizontal plane.

CHARLES T. Wiesmann.

Vitnesses:

HAL C. BELLVILLE, EDWARD WV. FURRELL. 

